Artificial intelligence has been front and center on Arbour’s priority list for the past several years. In 2017, he led a research program that explored how AI can be more effectively deployed to aid patients in the future. It was an ambitious effort: Data from 1,000 patients and caregivers, spanning six countries, quickly became a topic of discussion in meetings with patient groups, global client teams, and clients’ customers and key opinion leaders.
Arbour attempts to keep his focus on the ways that future technological advances can engage older, less tech-savvy patients. One new product, launching this year in Europe, Asia, and Canada, educates and provides emotional support to patients with type 2 diabetes. Another item on his concern list: The increasingly fast pace of change and how it impacts global healthcare.
Arbour’s career originated at one of Europe’s first digital agencies, where he developed campaigns for Vodafone, Mercedes-Benz, and the British government. While he has worked at the intersection of innovation and behavior for the last 20 years, he’s been healthcare-exclusive since 2008.
